Accidental Hair Growth

As men get older, I have seen them go to great lengths to rejuvenate or reinvigorate their youth. Nothing else can capture the spirit of youth than a full head of hair. Most men can look back at their youth and remember all the gel they used to put on their hair to keep it locked in place. The specific brushes to get that wave action going. That feeling of a woman running her fingers through their hair. Some men will try anything to get their hair back even if it is a bad toupee. Going bald is not something men enjoy.

The Best Hair Growth Products

To help men figure out which prescription drugs or medications work, I have analyzed two products which are the most commonly used and have shown to work. The first one is finasteride which is also known as Proscar but famously as Propecia. Finasteride is primarily used to treat enlarged prostate symptoms such as trouble urinating, hesitating urinating or getting up in the middle of the night to urinate. Somewhere along the line, scientists figured out from Propecia results that it can help treat male pattern baldness. When we say male pattern baldness, we are talking about a receding hairline or balding on top of the head. It has not been proven to provide hair regrowth but it will slow down hair loss.

As in any other prescription drug, there are side effects to Propecia. The most serious side effect is an increased risk of prostate cancer. If that wasn’t bad enough you can include a reduced sexual libido, erectile dysfunction and mood swings. Propecia does not work on women and should never be handled by women especially those who are pregnant since it is known to cause birth defects.

Rogaine

The next big product is Rogaine (minoxidil) which is designed to treat male pattern baldness.  It is not effective for baldness at the front of the scalp nor for receding hairline in men. Rogaine is a little different in the sense that it stops hair loss and stimulates hair regrowth over time. This prescription drug is off patent, over the counter and has many studies verifying successful hair growth over time even in women. So the question of “does Rogaine work?” can be easily answered. Keep in mind that hair growth will not just be located only in your scalp. You can expect hair growth everywhere (arms, legs, etc.).

Rogaine is not perfect and has side effects. They include burning or irritation of the eye, itching and redness of the treated area. You can also have allergic reactions such as a rashes or hives, chest pains, dizziness, rapid heartbeats, fainting and sudden and unexplained weight gain.

Which have you used for hair loss?